Day 13: Caspe to Escatron

Date	06 Jul 2025 ( Sunday )
Today's Distance:	15 miles / 24 km
Total This Camino:	109 miles
Total All Caminos:	1727 miles
Route and Stats
Lodging (Deb & I):	€ 55 @ Pension Mayor
Total Lodging:	$ 915
Total Airplane(s):	$ 1360
Travel Insurance (Larry):	$ 360
Buses / Trains / Taxis (Deb & I):
Total Buses / Trains / Taxis:	$ 220
Food (Deb & I) :	€ 25
Total Food:	$ 630

On the Road

Today's hike started in the usual 70° temperatures, but it stayed cooler longer.

In fact, the temperatures did not break 80° until after 10:00 a.m.

By the time we finished hiking at shortly after 1:00 p.m., the temperatures were only 90° or thereabouts.

There was no cloud cover which would have made the day perfect.

But for 15 Mi in this weather, I'm feeling pretty good about the day.

5:00 a.m. Wake up. Breakfast, clean up, pack.
6:15 Leave the Hotel Magallon. Temperature at 71°.
6:45 Leaving Caspe.

9:00 Arrive Chiprana. Temperature about 75°.

First 6 miles of the hike and cool temperatures, lower 70s with a cooling breeze.

10:30 a.m. Quick stop for sunblock and get my Macchiato Latte out of my backpack.
11:20 a.m. Another quick stop under the only tree along the road that we've seen this morning. Enjoying our first amount, if brief, shade.
Seems like we have approximately 3 Mi left. Temperature right now is 85°.

1:00 p.m. Not much more to report except that we made it to the pickup point. Our driver showed up with ice cold, super refreshing water.

Meaningful Moment

Can't get the pwd in the room to work. ( Much later I figured out which letters had to be capitalized for it to work. )

We have already decided that we are skipping tomorrow's stage due to an 18 mi. distance and severe heat. Tomorrow we are taking the bus to Quinto.

Walking around Escatron with Deb.

First, we found a bar that doesn't have food but does have Wi-Fi. However this is a food run. So we moved on.

Walking down the street, we found the bus stop, which had a printed schedule.

Then we found the public pool which doesn't have Wi-Fi but did have tapas and agua con gas. Time to eat.

Later in the evening we took a walk down to the church, which to my surprise was open. The docent gave us an outstanding lecture on a rescued relief from a monastery nearby. Our unplanned visit to Parroquia Católica de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora was a pleasant surprise.

Then we walked down to the port of Escatron on the Ebro River - the same river where we started nine days ago and over 100 miles to the southeast.

We got here to the Club Náutico about 7:30 p.m. , and sat down to eat and relax. We ordered two bottles of water, mixed salad with cheeses, fried eggs, French fries, chorizo and a wine.

It's now 9:00 p.m. and we're still sitting at our table with the the setting sun behind us and the Ebro flowing past, in front of us. The summer breezes flow strongly through the trees.

Random Thought of the Day

The views of Chiprana and the surrounding waters were gorgeous. And the town itself looked wonderful but the the Camino did not go into town but only skirted it.

Also, unfortunately this was the first third of today's hike, and the remaining 2/3's were without any possibility of water or food or shade.

So even if we had really really wanted to stay and explore Chiprana, the rest of the day would have simply been impossible logistics wise.

These are some of the decisions you have to make. Walk a short distance, stop and spend the night to explore something beautiful, or cover distance to compensate for lack of availability of water and or food and or a place to sleep.

The rest of the day's hike was beautiful through the Aragon land, but that might simply require a special perspective.

The man who picked us up at our endpoint was quite clear that he found the surrounding landscape to be dry and brown. He strongly preferred the green and lushness of the Basque country or Asturias or anywhere along the North Coast. He found nothing beautiful in his homeland.

Of course, I don't live here and maybe that would change my view.